The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Legacy Traditional School-san Tan (1001927)
Legacy Traditional School–San Tan is a tuition-free K-8 charter district in Pinal County. It comprises a single campus in San Tan Valley, a fast-growing exurban area southeast of the Phoenix metro. For the 2022–2023 school year, Legacy opened a brand-new, purpose-built facility, a campus that enrolled up to a sizable student body at capacity and included a gym, athletic fields, a library, a piano lab, indoor basketball, an artificial turf field, a commercial kitchen, and a cafeteria. The school also offers a fee-based pre-kindergarten program. This new campus represented a significant expansion of school-choice options in the area, and families considering Legacy will be weighing its modern facilities and extracurricular amenities alongside its academic profile.
The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by a substantial Hispanic population. Black students and students of two or more races each form smaller but notable groups, and there are also small shares of Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. The data did not include information on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, or the share of students with disabilities or English learner status. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these support populations.
Academically, Legacy serves kindergarten through eighth grade and does not serve high school, so there is no graduation rate to report. On the Arizona state assessments for the most recent school year, Legacy’s proficiency rates varied by grade and subject. In English language arts, results were mixed. In the youngest grades tested, roughly half of students met proficiency, while in the middle grades the share was about the same or slightly lower. Eighth grade reading stood out as a relative bright spot, with proficiency at a noticeably higher level. In math, the picture was softer. Proficiency rates were lower than in ELA at every grade level, with results ranging from under a third of students to just over a third. Science results were available for fifth and eighth grade, and in both grades fewer than two in five students scored proficient. Across all tested grades and subjects, Legacy’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among Pinal County’s districts. That is a solid comparative position, but the numbers themselves indicate that a substantial share of students are not yet meeting state standards in math and science, and even in ELA the results are inconsistent. A parent with a child who struggles in math especially will want to look into this further with the school, understand the instructional approach, and ask what support is available.
The district’s chronic absenteeism rate, the share of students who miss many school days, was reported and is above the midpoint among Pinal County’s districts. That is a factor worth noting: high absenteeism can affect school culture and academic momentum. The data did not include per-pupil spending figures for Legacy, so the level of financial investment per student is unclear.
For families weighing Legacy Traditional School–San Tan, the main contours are these. The school offers a modern campus with a broad set of facilities and extracurricular options in a growing part of the county. The academic results are a mixed bag, with ELA proficiency stronger than math and science, and overall performance falling in the upper half of local districts but still leaving many students below the bar. There is no high school to move into within the same charter network, so families will need to plan for a transition after eighth grade. The chronic absenteeism rate is a soft spot to investigate. In sum, Legacy provides a relatively new and amenity-rich school environment in a fast-growing area, and the academic picture is one that parents will want to explore actively with the school to see if it fits their child’s needs.
See more original research from School Decision →